<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Silver and Secrets by Soulstoned</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28213716">Silver and Secrets</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soulstoned/pseuds/Soulstoned'>Soulstoned</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Silver is the new Gold [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Domestic Fluff, Love, M/M, Mpreg, Oral Sex</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 01:08:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,646</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28213716</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soulstoned/pseuds/Soulstoned</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After winning silver at the Grand Prix Final and deciding to continue with his pregnancy, Yuri has to pull out of the rest of the season and tell the people closest to him. That doesn't mean he's ready to tell <i>everyone.</i> His fans are just going to have to wait.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov, Otabek Altin/Yuri Plisetsky</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Silver is the new Gold [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1992601</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>69</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Writing Rainbow Silver</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Silver and Secrets</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/WretchedArtifact/gifts">WretchedArtifact</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Yuri laughs as he feels Otabek step up behind him and wrap his arms around him, dropping one hand down to rest on his flat belly for what must be the tenth time since they got home from his first ultrasound yesterday afternoon. “You know there’s nothing to feel yet, right?” he says.</p><p>“Yeah, but I know what’s there and I’ve been holding back for almost two weeks. I have to get it out of my system now while we’re alone,” Otabek says, not moving his hand. </p><p>Yuri is currently nine weeks pregnant according to his ultrasound and perfectly healthy aside from being a little bit underweight, which should be an easy fix now that he has medication to stop his nausea. Today he will be pulling out of the rest of the season and while they aren't ready for it to be public knowledge yet, they have agreed to tell the people closest to them despite how early it is so they won't worry once that news gets out.</p><p>“Are you ready for this?” Otabek asks as he picks up his skate bag and walks toward the door. </p><p>“As ready as I’m going to be,” Yuri says. It feels weird to leave the apartment without his own skate bag, but his withdrawal from the season will be effective today. A clean break seemed like it would be easier than continuing to push himself on the ice until he can’t anymore. Competing with morning sickness was difficult enough and he doesn’t want to stick around and see what it would be like once his center of gravity begins to change.</p><p>Their apartment is only a few blocks from the rink, so the walk is a short one. When they walk in Victor is running Mila through some warm up drills while Yuuri searches for her program music. They walk over to where Yuuri is sitting and Victor and Mila skate over to the side of the rink to greet them. “How did everything go yesterday?” Yuuri asks.</p><p>As far as anyone else is aware, Yuri has been sick for a few weeks and missed practice yesterday to go to the doctor. It’s true, but they don’t know he figured out the cause of his illness nearly two weeks ago with a positive pregnancy test. Keeping it hidden isn’t going to be possible forever though and he’s pretty sure Otabek might crack from the excitement sooner or later. Ever since a few days ago when they decided to keep the baby, Otabek has struggled to keep his hands off of Yuri’s belly and it’s only a matter of time before he does it with witnesses.</p><p>They told Otabek’s parents over skype last night and Yuri didn’t think that call was ever going to end. He wouldn’t be surprised to get home after this and find Otabek’s mother waiting for them in their apartment. Otabek’s oldest sister has two kids already, who knew a third grandchild could be so exciting?</p><p>“I need to pull out of the season,” Yuri says.</p><p>Yuuri’s face falls. “Is it that bad? Is there anything we can do?” he asks.</p><p>Shit, that’s not what he meant. “It’s not a bad thing. Here, just look,” Yuri says, pulling a print out from yesterday’s ultrasound out of the pocket of his hoodie and thrusting it into Yuuri’s hands.<br/>
Yuuri’s eyes widen “Is this what it looks like? Victor! Come look at this!”</p><p>Victor steps off the ice and slips his skate guards on and walks over to where they're standing. His jaw drops when he looks over Yuuri’s shoulder. “I didn’t know you were even trying,” he says in disbelief.</p><p>“We weren’t,” Yuri says grumpily, resisting the urge to snatch the picture back. </p><p>“So this just happened without assistance?” </p><p>Yuri nods. “We weren’t expecting this to happen right now, but we know how rare it is and we don’t want to miss our chance. The timing is bad, but we’re happy,” he says. He feels Otabek’s arm tighten around his waist as he says it and he doesn’t have to look to know he must be beaming with pride. That look hasn’t left his face in days. It's starting to get creepy.</p><p>Victor gives them a tight smile. “Thank you for telling us. I think I left something in the car,” he says as he turns to walk away.</p><p>Yuuri has a pained look on his face as he watches Victor leave. “I should go check on him. I’m happy for you both. I want to see you back on the ice next year,” he says, handing the picture back as he follows after his husband.</p><p>“Well that got awkward fast,” Mila says. “So, when are you due?”</p><p>“July 31st,” Yuri says. </p><p>“That’s not bad timing, at least it's the middle of the offseason,” Mila says thoughtfully before a devilish grin spreads across her face. “I guess I know what you did for Otabek’s birthday.”</p><p>“Best birthday gift ever,” Otabek says, leaning over to give Yuri a peck on the cheek.</p><p>“Don’t encourage her,” Yuri says.</p><p>“I should go change, I <i>think</i> practice is still happening today,” Otabek says as he reluctantly lets go of Yuri and turns to walk toward the locker room.</p><p>“I guess that explains all the smiling,” Mila says after Otabek walks away. “It was starting to creep me out, I didn’t know his face could do that.”</p><p>“Beka smiles sometimes,” Yuri says defensively, brushing aside the fact that he was also starting to find it a little bit unnerving. The excitement is still new right now, he's sure Otabek will go back to normal eventually.</p><p>Yuri never met his own dad and his mom didn't stick around for long, so it's comforting to know that his own child will never have to know what it feels like to be unwanted. Mila interrupts his train of thought. "I'm sure you didn't just find out yesterday, so how long have you known?"</p><p>"Since about a week before the final, but it took until the medal ceremony to decide what we were going to do. Beka was all for keeping it from the start though," Yuri says.</p><p>"Is that what happened on the ice as the ceremony was ending? I read a tabloid article that said you proposed, but I knew that couldn't be right because you would’ve told me and I didn't see any rings."</p><p>"Ugh, the vultures are going to be all over this once the news gets out. We'll make an announcement once we have to, but for now we're just keeping it to family, so keep your mouth shut about it outside of here," Yuri says.</p><p>"Aww, I'm family?" Mila asks.</p><p>"Don't read too much into it. I just mean hiding this from you would be harder than hiding it from most people and I don't completely hate you," Yuri says, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest.</p><p>"I'll take it," Mila says with a laugh, before turning to skate back out onto the ice.</p><p>Once practice actually starts, Yuri excuses himself to go back home. There's no reason to stick around, especially with Victor acting so weird. On his way home he stops at the grocery store to get what he needs for his new meal plan. </p><p>He wants to focus on staying as in shape as possible while still eating what he needs to to gain a few pounds. He has always been on the low end of a healthy weight so losing a few pounds from morning sickness put him under where he's supposed to be. His current goal is to return to skating in time for next year's Russian nationals, which is only going to be possible if he stays on top of things starting now.</p><p>He’s not really looking forward to finding out what it’s going to take to go from having a baby at the end of July to competing again at the end of December. The more work he can save himself by keeping up with his diet and exercise the better. </p><p>Later that afternoon when Otabek gets home from practice they eat lunch and get to work on clearing out their spare room. They originally got the two bedroom apartment so they could have guests stay over, but over time the second bedroom has become more of a storage room with a bed in the middle.  It’s going to take a lot of work to turn it into a proper nursery so they might as well start now. </p><p>Yuri never realized they had so much <i>stuff</i>. It seems like half of the room is full of clothes he never even wears, most of them probably don’t even fit. Not that the other half of the room is looking much better, piled high with a truly ridiculous number of cat and bear plushies and Otabek’s old DJ equipment that he never got rid of when he upgraded it about a year ago. </p><p>It’s as he is going through the mess that Yuri realizes just how many smaller hobbies he has picked up and discarded over the past couple years in an attempt to find something he enjoys other than skating. A bag of yarn and a crochet hook left over from a sprained ankle, watercolors from a mild concussion, a sketchpad and colored pencils from a stress fracture. None of it touched again once he was allowed back on the ice.</p><p>Most of the evening is spent going through everything and deciding what to keep, what to donate, and what to try to sell. Most of the clothes and plushies end up in the donate pile aside from a few old favorites that they had previously thought were lost forever. Various craft supplies are moved into the bedroom to be kept for the next time Yuri is bored and needs something to do other than sit around. Some more valuable things that they have no need for are photographed to post online and sell later. By the time they stop to take a break the apartment looks like a disaster zone.</p><p>They're starting to think about what to cook for dinner when there's a knock on the door. Yuri gets up to open it and finds Victor and Yuuri standing there with their arms full of shopping bags. "Wow, what happened here?" Victor asks as he walks in. </p><p>"We're cleaning out the spare room," Otabek says. "What's all that?" he asks, gesturing toward the shopping bags. </p><p>Victor's face lights up, "Oh! We went shopping," he says, placing the bags on the coffee table and reaching into one to pull out a little yellow onesie. "Look, this one has a lion on it."</p><p>"It's still really early, we haven't even bought anything yet," Yuri starts, before seeing Yuuri giving him a look that he has learned to interpret over the years as <i>please humor him</i> "...but I guess it's never too soon to be prepared," he finishes, glancing back over to Yuuri who gives him a nod of approval.</p><p>"I was getting ready to make dinner if you want to stay," Yuri says. </p><p>"Dinner sounds wonderful," Victor says with a smile, sitting down next to Otabek on the couch to dig through the bags.</p><p>As Yuri walks into the kitchen, he tugs on Yuuri’s sleeve to drag him along. "Okay, so what's that about?" he asks as soon as they’re out of earshot.</p><p>Yuuri sighs, "I guess I can tell you. We've been trying for a baby for a while, so finding out you were going to have one without even having to try upset him. It's not your fault and he's already getting over it, so you don't have to worry about anything."</p><p>"He seems fine now," Yuri says, looking through the doorway and seeing Victor happily showing Otabek everything he bought.</p><p>"I may have told him spoiling your baby would be good practice for ours," Yuuri says with a shrug. "It cheered him up."</p><p>"Just don't spoil them too much," Yuri says. "This apartment isn't very big."</p><p>"I'll try to rein him in if it gets out of hand," Yuuri promises. </p><p>Yuri opens the fridge and pulls out the chicken he had planned to cook for dinner, there won't be any leftovers but it should be enough for the four of them, and starts to heat up the skillet as he seasons it. Yuuri helps by rinsing the rice and putting it in the rice cooker and chopping the vegetables while Yuri keeps an eye on the chicken.</p><p>It's not anything fancy, but he wasn't really expecting company. </p><p>"So, are you feeling any better?" Yuuri asks.</p><p>"Trying to figure out how long you should expect to be sick?" Yuri jokes. </p><p>"If it happens it isn't going to be me, but no. I was actually just wondering how you're doing."</p><p>"I still get morning sickness, but I have something I can take now when it gets really bad so I'm keeping food down better," Yuri says.</p><p>"Did you already know at the Grand Prix Final?"  Yuuri asks.</p><p>"Yeah, I found out about a week before the final. I wasn't sure what we were going to do yet and I just wanted to at least get through the competition like everything was normal."</p><p>"Well, I'm glad you told us now. Victor and I were about to physically drag you to the doctor if you didn't tell us what was wrong soon," Yuuri says.</p><p>"I can take care of myself," Yuri huffs.</p><p>"I know. You always have, but it's okay to let other people help when you need it," Yuuri says.</p><p>"Otabek was helping, but thanks," Yuri says grudgingly as he turns to check and see if the chicken is done.</p><p>Once they've finished cooking they call Victor and Otabek into the kitchen to eat. The awkwardness from earlier has dissipated and by the time Yuuri and Victor leave it’s like things were never weird at all.</p><p>Over the next couple weeks they make slow progress clearing out the second bedroom. The rest of the apartment still looks like a wreck, but most of the bigger things have been hauled out and the room is now sitting empty aside from a few boxes of clothes that Yuri still needs to sort through. It's almost ready to be redecorated for their baby. They're trying to avoid doing too much before the start of the second trimester just in case, but baby things continue to accumulate anyway. </p><p>Yuri is twelve weeks pregnant when he gets the itch to go out and do something. Otabek is playing at a local club and it's been a while since the last time he tagged along. He has to lay down on the bed to zip his dark skinny jeans but he doesn’t think much about it because that pair has always looked painted on. He tosses on a loose black shirt with cutouts on the back and leopard print accents. He knows he won't be able to pull this off for much longer so he wants to enjoy the night.</p><p>It turns out the club is far less fun when you're sober and allowed to be there. He always enjoys watching Otabek play, and he still has fun dancing to the music for a while, but it's also miserably hot and he feels like his pants are about to squeeze him in half. After a while all he can really do is sit off to the side sipping his water and waiting for it to be over. He has never felt less cool in his life.</p><p>When Otabek’s set ends they would normally hang out a while longer so they could dance together, but tonight all he wants to do is go home. Luckily Otabek seems to understand before he even has to say anything. "Tired?" he asks. </p><p>Yuri nods. "We can stay if you want to though."</p><p>"No, just give me a few minutes to go grab my things," Otabek says, leaning in to give Yuri a kiss on the cheek before turning to walk back over to the DJ platform.</p><p>When they get back into their apartment Otabek walks into the kitchen to grab a drink and Yuri sinks down onto the couch and finally undoes the button on his pants. The relief is almost instant. He rubs his hand over the angry red lines on his belly where his waistband had been digging in and just enjoys the feeling of no longer being constrained by the far too tight pants. </p><p>Otabek steps out of the kitchen with his drink in his hand and sees Yuri relaxed on the couch rubbing his hand over the tiniest little hint of a baby bump and he can’t look away. He walks over to the couch as if he is in a trance, not taking his eyes off of the exposed skin for a moment.</p><p>He sits his drink on the end table and sinks to his knees in front of Yuri, reaching his own hand out to feel the small curve. "Yura," he says in awe.</p><p>"My pants don't fit," Yuri complains. "Your kid is making me fat."</p><p>"You're gorgeous," Otabek says, leaning in to kiss Yuri's belly.  </p><p>"You say that now, but when I'm as big as a house you'll change your mind," Yuri says.</p><p>"Never," Otabek says, placing several more kisses on the tiny bump. </p><p>"You're weird. Parenthood is making you weird, and it's making me boring," Yuri says.</p><p>"You could never be boring," Otabek says very seriously, looking up at Yuri’s face to make sure he's listening.</p><p>"Beka, it is eleven PM on a Friday and I just dragged you home from the club early so I could go to bed. Yesterday I was thinking about learning how to knit. I'm boring," Yuri says, rolling his eyes.</p><p>"I usually only stay at the club when I'm done because I know you like to dance. You didn’t have to drag me home, I came willingly," Otabek says. </p><p>"If you say so,"  Yuri says, still convinced he is getting boring, but willing to let it go for now.</p><p>Otabek pushes Yuri’s shirt up a little bit more to fully take in the sight of the small bump. </p><p>"Isn't there something better you could be doing while you're down there?" Yuri asks.</p><p>Otabek grins and slides his hand down to Yuri's dick, palming him over his jeans. "Did you have something in mind?" he asks.</p><p>"You know what I want," Yuri says as he raises up just a little bit to slide his jeans down further. He lets out a sigh of relief once they’re all the way off. Undoing the button only did so much.</p><p>“You can have whatever you want any time,” Otabek says. “I mean, not just this, but definitely this too.”</p><p>Yuri laughs, It’s not like it has ever taken much to get Otabek on his knees. Sometimes he thinks Otabek must get as much out of giving as he gets from receiving.</p><p>Otabek doesn’t waste any time, as if he already knew Yuri wouldn’t have the patience for teasing tonight, licking up the underside and swirling his tongue around the head before finally closing his lips around him and sinking down. </p><p>Yuri brushes his fingers through Otabek’s hair as Otabek gazes up at him, not breaking eye contact or slowing his pace at all as he sucks Yuri’s brains out through his dick. </p><p>His quiet moans and shaking thighs probably make it obvious, but when Yuri feels like he’s about to come he gives Otabek’s hair a slight tug, their signal to get ready when the words won't form. He could swear he sees the corner of Otabek's mouth twitch into a hint of a smirk as he sinks down all the way, taking Yuri into his throat and swallowing around him as he finishes.</p><p>After a moment as Yuri comes down from his orgasm, Otabek climbs up onto the couch and wraps his arms around him. "Do you still want to go to bed?" he asks.</p><p>"Shower first," Yuri says. He's starting to feel a bit drowsy, but he’s been getting tired easily lately.</p><p>"Can I join you?" Otabek asks.</p><p>"Of course you can, that was an invitation," Yuri says, rolling his eyes as he stands up from the couch and makes his way toward the bathroom with Otabek close behind.</p><p>A little while later they both go to bed, clean and satisfied. As they’re drifting off to sleep, Otabek wraps his arms around Yuri from behind and rests his palm over the tiny baby bump he discovered earlier. Yuri gets the feeling they will be sleeping in this position a lot. He can’t say he minds.</p><p>In the morning Yuri wakes up after Otabek has already left for practice with a renewed commitment to getting the nursery ready, hoping to have at least a good start on the room before travelling to Seoul for Four Continents in a few weeks. </p><p>He tried to pull out of the season quietly, but it didn’t take long for fans to notice his name wasn’t on the roster for the Russian Nationals or the European Championship. Rumors are flying about secret illnesses or injuries and he knows some reporters keep bothering Otabek at the rink when he goes to practice. Yuri has been staying away from the rink to avoid them. Mila is supposed to come visit this evening after practice and Victor and Yuuri have stopped by twice already this week, so it isn’t like he has to go to the rink to see everyone, but it still feels strange to stay away.</p><p>He scaled back his social media presence after a simple picture of Potya napping in a sunbeam generated a four hundred comment debate about whether or not he was secretly dying. It doesn’t help that the background of most of the pictures he has taken recently have been full of clutter from cleaning out the second bedroom in addition to all of the baby stuff that has started accumulating and can’t be put away yet. He can’t exactly post those pictures without giving himself away. All it would take is one fan spotting a onesie in the background and the secret would be out.</p><p>Unfortunately his disappearance from the public eye has only fueled the rumors. He hadn’t really thought he was showing at all until last night and as he examines himself from all angles in front of the mirror today he’s still pretty sure anyone who doesn’t already know he's pregnant will just think he looks a little bloated. He throws on one of Otabek’s hoodies anyway just to be on the safe side before snapping a selfie in one of the last clear corners of the apartment. Hopefully this will be enough to at least keep things from escalating into rumors about his untimely death.</p><p>After the picture is posted he turns to the last of the boxes that still need sorted. They’re full of clothes he never unpacked after moving out of Lilia’s apartment and in with Otabek. Most of them didn’t fit anymore even before he moved. He hit a growth spurt at seventeen that wasn’t quite over yet when he moved during the offseason after his eighteenth birthday. He doesn’t get very deep into the pile before he realizes he never unpacked them for a reason.</p><p>As he is getting ready to just move the boxes into the donation pile that is taking up a huge part of their living room he spots the first hoodie he ever stole from Otabek. It was too big for him back then, so it probably fits just right now, at least for a little while longer. He sets it aside to keep. </p><p>A comment war is already starting under his post from this morning, so he turns his notifications off. He knows he’s going to look anyway, but at least this will keep his phone from blowing up all day. He doesn’t like that people think he has stepped back due to an illness, or injury, or poor sportsmanship, or whatever the rumor is today, but at least when seeing those comments he knows the people commenting are wrong about whatever it is they’re saying. Even if the detailed analysis of the bags under his eyes in the comments of a picture from a few weeks ago did make him feel a little bit self-conscious. He can handle that, but he knows he’ll find it much more upsetting once they start to debate his fitness as a parent.</p><p>He knows he can’t keep this hidden from the public forever. Even if he spends the next few months inside his apartment not posting any pictures below the shoulder, eventually people are going to see him with a baby and wonder where it came from. He would really like a few more weeks of relative privacy though. Just a little bit more time to gain some confidence about what he’s doing.</p><p>Otabek gets home from practice just in time to help him get out of his head. “Where’s Mila? I thought she was coming after practice,” Yuri asks..</p><p>“She said she was going to run home for something first, but she should be here soon,” Otabek says.</p><p>“Any vultures today?” Yuri asks, referring to the reporters who’ve been hanging around the rink.</p><p>“Just a few nosy fans, nothing like the last few days,” Otabek says. </p><p>“That’s good, maybe they’ll lose interest,” Yuri says. </p><p>“Doubt that, but it was nice to have a break. What did you do today?” Otabek asks.</p><p>“I got up late and sorted through the last few boxes. We should be able to clear up a lot of space by hauling all the donations out on your next free day, then we can think about painting.” Yuri says. </p><p>“I’ll do the painting, you don’t need to be around the fumes, but we can pick the color together,” Otabek says.</p><p>“It should be fine if I open a window,” Yuri protests.</p><p>“You’re already doing the hardest part, let me do this. I just want to feel useful,” Otabek says, giving Yuri a pleading look.</p><p>“Fine, but promise me this isn’t the beginning of six more months of hovering,” Yuri says.</p><p>“I promise not to drive you crazy, as long as you agree to ask for help with things when you need it.”</p><p>It’s a fair agreement and Yuri doesn’t really enjoy painting anyway. They’re deep in a conversation about paint colors and nursery themes when Mila arrives with a honey cake that is clearly homemade. </p><p>“You know you’re not allowed to have that,” Yuri says with a grin as she sits it down on the coffee table. </p><p>“It’ll be just like old times then,” she says, cutting herself a piece and sitting down on the other end of the couch.</p><p>“I won’t tell Victor if you don’t,” Yuri says as he cuts his own slice.</p><p>They both turn to Otabek. “You can have some, but you have to promise there will be no tattling,” Mila says.</p><p>“How old am I, twelve?” Otabek asks in confusion. Victor and Yuuri don’t even watch their meal plans that closely. They certainly aren’t going to get into any kind of trouble over a single serving of cake.</p><p>“I think Yuri was about twelve the first time we did this,” Mila says.</p><p>That sounds right. Yuri remembers living in the skater dorms and finding Mila in the attached kitchen trying to cook very quietly in the middle of the night and promising his silence in exchange for a slice of the cake once she was done. It became a tradition after that. Once every few months they would go down to the kitchen and break their meal plans together. </p><p>He’s not sure if he would have considered them friends back then, but she was the closest thing he had to one before he met Otabek. </p><p>“I saw you updated your instagram again today, your fans are brutal,” Mila says.</p><p>“I haven’t looked yet, do they still think I’m dying?” Yuri asks.</p><p>“They’re split, half think you’re dying, half think you’re just pouting because you won silver,” Mila says. </p><p>“Why do they think I’m dying this time? I double checked for bags under my eyes and made sure to smile,” Yuri asks, resisting the urge to reach into his pocket and see for himself.</p><p>“Mostly the same as last time. You were sick at the Grand Prix Final and only won silver, you aren’t on the roster for any upcoming competitions, and you’re barely posting these days,” Mila says. “For what it’s worth, I’d be worried too if you didn’t tell me why you’re really missing the rest of the season. This posting once a week business isn’t like you.”</p><p>“I’ll start posting more once everyone stops using my posts as evidence that I’m a dying sore loser. Like I won silver once and it literally killed me,” Yuri says.</p><p>“They’ll calm down eventually,” Otabek says. “How long can they really keep this up?”</p><p>Yuri just shakes his head “Your fans aren’t like mine. Remember when you first moved here and your fans were full of congratulations and mine were still grasping at straws to prove that we weren’t really serious?”</p><p>“It doesn’t get much more serious than a baby,” Mila says. “Let me know when you announce it, I want to watch their heads explode.”</p><p>“You’re going to have to wait at least a little bit longer, I’m not in a hurry to deal with that at all,” Yuri says.</p><p>“See? This is how I know you’re going to do fine as a dad. You’re already no fun,” Mila says with a laugh.</p><p>Yuri knows she’s joking, but it feels nice to hear someone other than Otabek say he’s going to be a good dad. “Do you really think so?” he asks.</p><p>“You’re giving up a lot to have this kid. You wouldn’t do that if you weren’t committed, and I think I’ve seen Otabek smile more in the past month than in the past few years combined. Your kid is lucky,” Mila says.</p><p>“Thanks Baba,” Yuri says.</p><p>“Also they have the best Auntie in the world,” Mila continues with a grin.</p><p>“When did you meet Beka’s sisters?” Yuri asks, grinning back at her.</p><p>“You know what I meant,” Mila says, giving him a playful shove before glancing at the time on her phone. “I need to get home, My plane leaves really early in the morning for Nationals and I still haven’t packed. It’s going to feel weird to go without you.”</p><p>“You better win gold, you know what happens when you win silver.” Yuri says.</p><p>Mila laughs as she walks towards the door. “If I win silver at least it won’t be because I was attempting the world’s most unbalanced pair skate, but I’m going to win gold.”</p><p>“So Mila is our baby’s auntie now?” Otabek asks as the door closes behind her.</p><p>Yuri shrugs “We’re going to be in Russia for a few more years. It might be nice for our baby to have some family here other than us. She’s always been a lot like an annoying older sister anyway.”</p><p>“I guess that makes sense,” Otabek says. “Are your fans really still freaking out? I never check.”</p><p>“Yeah, they’ve also been leaving comments all over your page because they think you probably know something, and Victor has been moderating the comments on his public account so I think they got him too.”</p><p>“Are you sure the secrecy is still worth it? You’re almost out of your first trimester now. Maybe they’ll calm down once they have their answer,” Otabek says.</p><p>“Not yet, I want some more time to just enjoy this before I have to hear what people have to say about it,” Yuri says. “Eventually we’ll have to make an announcement if I don’t want to have to hide at home all the time, but we aren’t there yet.”</p><p>“It’s nobody’s business anyway, I just wish I could do something to make this easier for you. Maybe if I post on my own account that you’re healthy and okay with winning silver?”</p><p>“That would raise way more questions than it answers,” Yuri says, taking a minute to imagine his fans’ reaction to that post. It’s almost comical.</p><p>“I think I’m going to give that silver medal to our kid,” Yuri says.</p><p>“Oh?”</p><p>“They were there for it, it’s better than shoving it in a box with all the others. It can hold them over until they start winning their own.”</p><p>“No pressure though, right?”</p><p>“None needed. This kid has our genes, they’re going to destroy the competition,” Yuri says.</p><p>“They’re going to be pretty great. I can’t wait to meet them,” Otabek says as he slips his hand under Yuri’s shirt to rest on his belly.</p><p>“Why are you always doing that, anyway? It’s not like you can feel them move yet,” Yuri asks. </p><p>“This is all just so amazing that I can hardly believe it’s real. I guess I just want to feel as close to the baby as I can. It doesn’t bother you, does it?”</p><p>“No, I guess not,” Yuri says, resting his hand on top of Otabek’s. “Lets go get something to eat, that cake wasn’t much of a dinner.”</p><p>“What did you have in mind? I think it’s my turn to cook,” Otabek says as he stands up from the couch. </p><p>“I want to go out, maybe try that new place that just opened up down the street? The club might not be fun anymore, but I don’t want to sit around at home all the time,” Yuri says, standing up from the couch to go change clothes.</p><p>“Anything you want."</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>